Game Notes
Riverdale, NY - Manhattan (2-4) returns home to host Fordham (5-1) in the annual "Battle of the Bronx" on Saturday, December 1 at 7:00 pm.
Series History
* The Jaspers hold a 57-53 advantage in the all-time series and have claimed five of the last seven meetings at Draddy Gymnasium.
* Manhattan has claimed five of the last seven meetings between the teams at Draddy Gymnasium.
* The have split the last six match-ups dating back to the 2012-2013 season.
* Head Coach
Steve Masiello is 4-3, all-time, against Fordham after going 4-0 as an assistant from 2001-2005.
Masiello On The The Game
* Masiello joined Marc Ernay from 1010 WINS to talk about Saturday's game. Click
HERE for the full interview.
Lock It Up, No You Lock It Up!
* Manhattan is 19th nationally in scoring defense, yielding a MAAC-low 59.5 ppg while also ranking 18th in turnovers forced per game (18.3) and 38th in steals per game (8.5).
* At George Washington, the Jaspers set season-highs with 13 steals and 21 forced turnovers.
* Manhattan has turned the opposition over at least 20 times in each of the last two games.
I'm Here For Career Day
* Graduate Student
Ibrahima Diallo and sophomore
Ebube Ebube each had a career-high matching nine points against the Colonials, with the latter notching double-figures on the glass for the second time this year with 10 rebounds.
Ebube Cleaning Up The Glass
* Ebube, who had a career-high 12 rebounds with nine points in the win over Coastal Carolina, is averaging 6.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg (4th MAAC), including a league-leading 3.5 offensive caroms.
Taking Charge
* The Jaspers have drawn 11 offensive fouls over the last three games after registering just five in the first three. Ebube leads the squad with 10 drawn offensive fouls and has recorded at least one in all six games.
Newcomer Noise
* Freshman
Elijah Buchanan had a solid game at GW with six points, five rebounds and five steals.
* Buchanan and the rest of the Jasper newcomers have accounted for 56.5 percent (177-of-313) of the team's scoring, 41.4 percent (79-of-191) of the rebounding and 54.5 percent (654-of-1200) of the minutes.
Balance
* Through six games, Manhattan has nine players scoring between 4.5 ppg and 7.0 ppg and 10 that are averaging double-figures in minutes.
Cap In The Battle Of The Bronx
* Senior
Thomas Capuano has played a total of 108 out of a possible 120 minutes against Fordham in his career and is averaging 9.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 2.7 apg while shooting 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the floor. Last year, he had 11 points after chipping in with 10 and three assists in the Jaspers' 60-53 "Battle of the Bronx" victory two years ago.
* On the year, Capuano is shooting a blistering 50.0 percent (10-of-20) from deep and in the opener against Elon had 10 points, a career-high eight rebounds and four assists, against no turnovers.
Other Bronx Notes
* Junior
Pauly Paulicap scored seven points with five blocks last year at Fordham while sophomore
Nehemiah Mack handed out five assists with two steals.
Return Of The 'Cap
* Paulicap made his season debut at GW, playing five minutes.
Along Came Pauly
* Last year's MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, Paulicap garnered preseason All-MAAC Second Team accolades.
* He ranked 16th in the NCAA last year with 2.5 blocks per game and rejected at least three on 14 different occasions.
* Paulicap's 78 total blocks were the fourth-most in school history and were more than 52 schools had all of last season. He also averaged 10.0 ppg and 6.9 rpg (4th MAAC), including a MAAC-leading 3.0 on the offensive glass, while ranking third in the MAAC in field goal percentage (.558) with four double-doubles.
* The Jaspers have won four of the last eight MAAC Defensive Player of the Year awards under Masiello as Paulicap joined three-time Defensive Player of the Year
Rhamel Brown as the league's top defensive force.
* Thanks in large part to Paulicap, Manhattan ranked among the top-three in the MAAC in six defensive categories: turnovers forced (14.8-3rd; 48th NCAA), rebounding defense (33.7-1st), scoring defense (70.2 ppg-2nd), blocks (3.9 bpg-2nd), field goal percentage defense (.437-3rd) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.345-3rd).
Mack, Williams Lauded
* Mack and freshman
Warren Williams were each named to the NKU Basketball Classic All-Tournament Team.
* Williams scored all of his career-high 13 points in the win over UNC Asheville after halftime and notched 12 points and seven rebounds against NKU, finishing up with averages of 9.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg for the three games.
* Mack scored nine of his career-high 11 points in the final 3:50 of the Jaspers' comeback victory over Coastal Carolina en route to averaging 6.0 ppg, 2.7 apg and 2.0 spg over the weekend.
Captains
* Capuano, Paulicap and Mack will serve as team captains for the upcoming year.
KEMI NKU Basketball Classic Notes
* In the win over Coastal Carolina, Manhattan rallied from a 13-point deficit over the final 9:37 thanks to forcing the Chanticleers into 0-for-8 shooting during that time while posting a 13-7 advantage on the glass.
* The Jaspers overcame a 13-point deficit against Coastal Carolina, marking the second time in as many years the Green & White have done so (Marist - January 2, 2018.
* At the NKU Basketball Classic, the Jaspers posted a dominating 54-38 win over UNC Asheville, including putting game away with a 16-2 run, as Manhattan scored on eight of its final nine possessions en route to shooting a season-high 45.0 percent (18-of-40) from the floor.
* The Jaspers also turned the Bulldogs over 20 times while limiting them to just 25.0 percent (11-of-44) shooting, including 13.3 percent (2-of-15) from long range.
* The 38 points yielded were the fewest allowed since a 60-38 victory over Marist on December 7, 2014 at Draddy Gymnasium.
* Ebube recorded 6.3 ppg and 8.3 rpg KEMI NKU Basketball Classic while drawing seven charges.
Congrats Coach
* The win over Coastal Carolina was also the the 200th for Masiello, which includes his time as an Assistant and a Head Coach.
Closing Time
* At the NKU Basketball Classic, the Jaspers dominated the opposition over the final 10 minutes of action, outscoring its three opponents by a combined 60-34 count, including shooting 54.3 percent from the floor, including 57.1 percent from deep, while posting a +4.3 margin on the glass.
From Downtown
* Junior
Tyler Reynolds scored a career-high 15 points on the strength of five triples in the triumph over UNC Asheville, bettering his previous highs of 12 points and four threes in the win over Coastal Carolina. On the year, he is shooting 46.2 percent (12-of-26) from long range.
The Bench
* The Jasper reserves have outscored the starters three times this year.
Getting It Done Off The Court
* Senior
Samson Usilo was recently inducted into the prestigious Chi Epsilon National Engineering Honor Society, which is dedicated to the purpose of maintaining and promoting the status of civil engineering.
Defense Wins Games
* Manhattan has paced the MAAC in turnovers forced in three of the last five years (2015-2016, 2014-2015, 2013-2014) and are 25-14 under Masiello when turning the opposition over at least 20 times.
* Masiello's teams have also recorded at least 10 steals in a game 51 times with Manhattan going 40-11 (.784)
* The Jaspers have limited the opposition to less than 60 points three times this year and are 45-6 under Masiello when holding teams to less than 60 points.
Non-Conference Notes
* Manhattan will play 12 non-conference games, highlighted by three games against teams that qualified for the NCAA or the NIT a year ago. Additionally, the 12 opponents combined for a stellar .518 winning percentage.
Happy Anniversary!
* The Jaspers were the first-ever NCAA Division I team to win a game in Europe besting Holy Cross 70-54 on December 1, 2017 as part of the inaugural Belfast Classic in Northern Ireland before dropping a 56-55 thriller to Towson in the Championship.
Masiello Quick Hits
* Masiello has led Manhattan to a 118-114 (.509) record, including going 72-62 (.537) during MAAC play, and 57-30 (.655) at Draddy Gym over his eight seasons, including 44-22 vs. league opposition. He has won two MAAC Titles, advanced to title game three times, claimed two Metropolitan Coach of the Year awards with a pair of 20-win campaigns. Masiello has also participated in the NCAA Tournament in 13 of his first 21 seasons as a player or coach, including being a part of eight conference champions and one National Title.
* In his first tenure as an assistant, Masiello was a part of two MAAC titles and three 20-plus win seasons. All told, Masiello has been a member of four of Manhattan's five MAAC Championship teams and five of the school's 12 20-win seasons in recording a combined 201-150 record.
* Now in his 22nd season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 479-260, including 358-232 on the sidelines, with one National Title, two National Championship Game appearances, two Final Fours, six Elite Eight berths, eight conference championships, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances and 15 20-win seasons.
MAAC Preseason Poll
* Manhattan was tabbed eighth in the MAAC Preseason Poll. The Jaspers were slated eighth prior to the 2011-2012 season and finished with 21 victories.
Congrats Smooth
* Former standout and current color analyst Chris "Smooth" Williams joined the Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 10. Williams clinched Manhattan's first-ever MAAC Championship in 1992-93 at the line and led the Jaspers to 72 career wins while handing out 271 assists and scoring 792 points.
Mid-Major Madness
* Paulicap (1st) and Capuano (2nd) were each selected to preseason All-MAAC teams by Mid-Major Madness.
Winter Fest To Be Held Prior To The Game
* The Manhattan Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will hold a Winter Fest on Walsh Plaza from 3:00 pm-6:00 pm on Saturday, December 1 before the annual 'Battle of the Bronx' Men's Basketball game against Fordham.
* The inaugural Winter Fest will include food trucks, arts & crafts, activities, opportunities to take photos with Santa, live music, activities and more.
* The first 500 students and first 500 fans to enter Draddy Gymnasium following Winter Fest will receive a free White 'Battle of the Bronx' t-shirt with everyone encouraged to wear white to
WHITE OUT DRADDY GYMNASIUM.
* There will be a complimentary shuttle bus from the parking garage to Draddy Gymnasium for the game.
* Fans who purchase their Fordham tickets at Winterfest between 3:00 pm-6:00 pm at the box office will receive a $5 discount off the price of admission.
What's A Jasper?
* The unique nickname of Manhattan College's athletic teams, the Jaspers, comes from one of the College's most memorable figures, Brother Jasper of Mary, F.S.C., who served as the College's athletic director in the late 19th century. One of the greatest achievements of Brother Jasper was that he brought the then little-known sport of baseball to Manhattan College and became the team's first coach. Since Brother Jasper was also the Prefect of Discipline, he supervised the student fans at Manhattan baseball games while also directing the team itself. During one particularly warm and humid day when the college was playing a semi-pro baseball team called the Metropolitans, Brother Jasper noticed the Manhattan students were becoming restless and edgy with the team coming to bat in the seventh inning of a close game. To relieve the tension, Brother Jasper called timeout and told the students to stand up and stretch for a few minutes until the game resumed. Since the College annually played the New York Giants in the late 1880's and into the 1890's at the old Polo Grounds, the Manhattan College practice of the "seventh inning stretch" spread into the major leagues, where it has now become a time-honored custom practiced by millions of fans annually.
This Is Manhattan College
• Why is Manhattan College in the Bronx? Our campus was originally located in Manhattan at the intersection of 131st Street and Broadway. In 1923, Manhattan College moved to its present Riverdale location in order to accommodate a growing student body. But with more than 60 years of history established as Manhattan College, the institution decided to retain the name despite the geographic misnomer.
• 17 alumni are members of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering — an impressive number for an institution the size of Manhattan College.
• Manhattan is one of only 182 remaining colleges founded in the United States before the Civil War.
About Fordham
* Fordham enters with a 5-1 record and is paced by freshman Nick Honor (18.5 ppg) and Saint Peter's transfer junior Antwon Portley (10.3 ppg). Freshmen Jalen Cobb (10.2 ppg) and Ty Perry (10.0 ppg) are also averaging double-figures in points.
Meet The Staff
* Masiello is joined on the bench by
Matt Grady,
Doug Thibault,
RaShawn Stores,
Brandon Kuhn and
Tyler Wilson. Grady is in his eighth year as an associate head coach with Thibault beginning year one. Stores is back for his third seasons while Kuhn is in his second year as the Strength & Conditioning Assistant/Director of Operations and Wilson his second as a Special Assistants to Masiello.
113th Season Of Manhattan Basketball
* In its 113th season, the Manhattan men's basketball program boasts a 1366-1231 overall record (294-316 MAAC). The Jaspers' storied men's basketball team was established in 1904-05 and took a two-year hiatus during the 1943-44 and 1944-45 season due to World War II.
Pretty Good
* Over the last six years, the Jaspers are 58-17 when leading at the half, 34-11 when limiting teams to less than 40 percent shooting and 52-30 when forcing more turnovers than the opposition.
KEMI NKU Basketball Classic Photo Galleries
Coastal Carolina | NKU | UNC Asheville
Up Next
* Manhattan will host Stony Brook on Wednesday, December 5 at 7:00 pm.
